100 Questions To Ask Your Wedding Venue During Covid

DATES

• Is your desired wedding date available and if not, is there an alternate date that you would consider choosing?
• Can you place a tentative hold on the desired date?
• If so, how long can you hold the tentative date for me?

BOOKING

• What is required of me to confirm a wedding booking at your venue?
• Is there an upfront booking fee that we need to make and is it refundable?
• Where could I find the terms and conditions for the booking?

COST

• What does the cost include and is it possible for you to create a Quotation for me?
• What does the cost not include?
• Does the venue cost include GST and gratuity?
• Are there any annual CPI price increases I have to be aware of?
• Does the cost change depending on what day of the week I get choose to get married?
• Does the cost change depending on the time of year I choose to get married?
• Is there a list of prices for optional extras in addition to the package pricing?
• Is there any ‘fine print’ that I should be aware of and can read through?
• Do you have a payment schedule that we will need to stick to?
• Are there payment plans available for us?

PLANNING

• Is a wedding planner supplied and how often are they available for communication?
• Do you have an online wedding planning portal and software which allows me to effortlessly communicate with your team and have all my wedding details easily accessible in the one place?
• Is there a way that we can pin our styling inspiration and share these details with your wedding planning team?
• Can I use my own vendors or do I have to use vendors you recommend?
• Do you have a list of recommended vendors you can provide me with?
• Who will be available onsite on the day of my wedding?
• Is the venue exclusive use?
• How will you support us and assist us in the lead up to and on the day of our wedding?
• Do you assist with the table layout or is this something we need to create?
• Will you liaise with my vendors at any point during the planning process or on the day of the wedding?
• Are we able to visit your venue after we have booked and in the lead up to our wedding to show vendors or family members?
• Is there suitable spaces for onsite photography? If not, do you have recommendations of places nearby?
• Does your venue provide a complimentary and personalised wedding website and URL that we can share with our guests with important information like RSVP, gift information/wishing well, ceremony time and venue location?

STYLING AND DECORATION

• Do you provide ceremony and reception styling (flowers, candles, centrepieces etc) or can we organise this ourselves?
• Will you help with on-the-day set up of any decorations we provide?
• Do you have a wishing well for our guests to place their cards?
• Do you have a cake knife for the cake cutting or should we bring our own?
• Do you have a cake stand or should we bring our own if we would like one?
• Is there a lectern for speeches and my Master of Ceremonies on the night?
• Can you provide me with a list of furniture and equipment you have available for use?
• Do you allow real candles to be used for decoration?
• Do you provide printed menus for the tables or is that something I should arrange through my stationary designer?

GETTING READY

• What time do we have access to the venue on the morning of the wedding day?
• Is there a place that myself and my bridal party can get ready in?
• If so, does it have good lighting and power?
• Will I need to provide my own food and drinks before the ceremony?

FOOD & BEVERAGE

• Can I view the food and beverage packages?
• Will the menu stay the same for my wedding or will there be a new menu for my wedding?
• What food and beverages are included in the package and what is additional?
• If your venue provides a house drinks pacakge are we able to upgrade to include international wines?
• Can I do a menu trial before the wedding?
• Are the meals provided in your package substantial portions?
• Is the food made on-site, is anything brought in frozen or premade?
• What is your wait staff to guest ratio?
• Are vendor meals complimentary? If not, how much will this cost?
• What is your policy on BYO food and beverages?

CEREMONY

• Is there a concierge provided to greet my guests on arrival?
• What are your available ceremony options? Indoor/outdoor?
• Is there an additional charge for any wet weather back up options?
• What chair options do you have for my ceremony?
• Will you cue my ceremony music? If so, is there an additional cost for you to do this?
• Will there be someone helping us get down the aisle (timing, cueing the ceremony officiant, helping with my dress)?
• Will venue staff transition my ceremony florals to my reception space?
• Will there be a signing table for the ceremony, or will we need to organise one?
• Do you provide a sound system for music and a microphone to use for my ceremony?

RECEPTION

• What is the maximum capacity for the reception space?
• How many options do I have in terms of reception locations?
• What types of linens do you have for tables?
• What chair options do you have for the reception?
• What crockery, cutlery and glassware do you have for the table set?
• Do you provide a sound system to use for my reception speeches and music?
• Is there adequate lighting where the speeches are happening for my photographer and/or videographer?

DANCING

• Is there an added cost to turn over the reception space if I wish to use this as a dancing space? (You want to ask this question if your ceremony and reception are in the same room).
• Do I have to hire a DJ or live music entertainer for dancing music or do you have a sound system to play a playlist from?
• Does your venue have surround sound in both the reception and dancing space and can the volume be controlled separately?
• What time can my wedding go until?
• Are there any noise restrictions?

COVID-19 CONSIDERATIONS

• Does your venue have a Covid safe plan?
• Is there a Customer Experience manager who can specifically assist with any Covid related enquiries?
• Is this manager able to give clear and specific information about what any Covid restrictions may mean for our wedding day?
• In the event of Covid related restrictions will your venue be able to communicate and liaise with vendors leading up to and on the wedding day.
• Is your venue subject to the nearest capital cities lockdown or restrictions, or are you outside the greater area?
• In the event of a Covid related lockdown will I be able to postpone our wedding to another date within a 12 month timeframe without financial penalty?
• What experiences have other couples had with your venue when planning or postponing their wedding during Covid?
• Do you have any reviews I can read through from couples who have had their wedding at your venue during Covid?
• Do you provide suggestions or dancing alternatives if restrictions are put in place eg. no dancing?
• Are we allowed to have the wedding cake on display and will you provide a perspex covering for it to be Covid compliant?
• Does your venue offer complimentary live streaming of the ceremony for any guests that may not be able to attend?

OTHER

• Am I able to drop off my items at your venue the day before my wedding for ease on my wedding day?
• Do you have a backup power generator in the case of a power failure?
• Is your venue child friendly and does your venue have a dedicated children’s menu at a reduced cost to adult guests?
• Does your venue have a seasonal garden and are you able to educate us on what the gardens will look like at the time of year I choose to get married?
• How much is parking? Is it self-parking or valet?
• How many cars can fit in your parking area?
• Can guests leave their cars parked overnight?
• What other transportation is available in the area for guests to use?
• Do you have accommodation available onsite?
• What is the average price per night of local accommodation? It is easy to get to?
• Do you allow live music entertainers onsite and at what times?
• Do you facilitate rehearsals on before or on the day of the wedding?
• When can I pick up our wedding items? Does everything need to be taken on the night?
• Is your venue pet friendly? If so, will they cater to our dog and provide meals for him/her throughout the day?
• Does your wedding venue allow extra things such as arrival by helicopter or fireworks?
• Can your venue recommend options for great local cafes, restaurants and regional highlights if I plan on having a wedding weekend?

Whilst choosing your venue is undoubtedly a big and important decision the process can also be incredibly exciting and fun with Australia providing a plethora of stunning wedding venues. Before deciding on what venues to visit, make sure you view all of the available information on their website. This includes downloading brochures and prospectuses, browsing their Instagram and Facebook for inspiration and reading through their client reviews. Once you have read through all the information and are interested in viewing the venue, see what questions from the above list have already been answered from this information. From there, have your list of unanswered questions ready for your onsite or virtual venue viewing.

Most importantly, take the time to see some of the incredible venues across the country, enjoy some quality time with your partner and loved ones and then start dreaming about your perfect day!